NFL Player News

Gillislee took 14 carries for 43 yards in Thursday's 26-17 preseason win over Washington.

With Sony Michel (knee) and Rex Burkhead (undisclosed) both absent, Gillislee got the start and handled the first carry, but he was thoroughly outplayed by Jeremy Hill, who took 11 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown. Further hurting his cause, Gillislee was involved in a botched handoff with quarterback Danny Etling toward the end of the game, while Hill didn't get any carries after the third quarter. If the two veteran running backs are indeed competing for one roster spot, Hill likely moved ahead of Gillislee with Thursday's performance.

Barkley rushed five times for 43 yards and wasn't targeted in the passing game during Thursday's 20-10 loss to the Browns in the preseason opener.

The hype surrounding Barkley coming into his first NFL action was almost as massive as his quads, and the second overall selection in this past draft didn't disappoint. He ripped off a 39-yard run on the game's very first offensive play, making a nice cut at the line of scrimmage before bursting up the sideline. The only criticism of Barkley's performance here was his tendency to bounce everything outside, as he won't simply be able to outrun linebackers at this level like he did in college. Jonathan Stewart also mixed in during the two drives played by New York's offensive starters, but the plodding veteran isn't much of a threat to Barkley's playing time.

Kelley got the start in Thursday's preseason game against New England, taking four carries for six yards.

Derrius Guice (knee), Byron Marshall and Samaje Perine also got touches in the early portion of Thursday's contest, though the rookie was removed toward the end of the first quarter after suffering what appeared to be a minor injury at the end of a 34-yard run that was wiped out by a penalty. Guice finished his night with six carries for 19 yards, with Perine adding seven carries for 31 yards. While a slimmed-down Kelley reportedly has made a strong impression at training camp, he may end up battling Perine for a single job. Guice and Chris Thompson (leg) are obvious roster locks, and the Redskins may want to keep Marshall or Kapri Bibbs to provide pass-catching depth behind Thompson.

Cunningham won't suit up for Thursday's preseason game at Cincinnati, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Bears are also holding out Jordan Howard (knee), meaning Tarik Cohen, Taquan Mizell and Ryan Nall are the only available running backs in the exhibition opener. Cunningham may have difficulty finding a consistent role in the regular season with Howard slated for a heavy workload and Cohen on hand to handle pass-catching duties.

Jones (leg) is not in uniform for Thursday's preseason opener, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

In a backfield full of candidates on similar footing, Jones' absence from Thursday's contest could drop him down the depth chart should Wendell Smallwood and/or Josh Adams post a strong showing. A long absence would further hurt his chances of making the 53-man roster, but a timeline for his return has not been disclosed at this point.

Pumphrey will not play in Thursday's preseason game against Pittsburgh, Jeff Skversky of ABC TV 6 in Philadelphia reports.

Pumphrey is likely competing with Wendell Smallwood, Matt Jones and Josh Adams for what may only be one final reserve running back roster spot. He's likely getting the game off and will show what he can do next week.

Jones has struggled with pass protection during training camp, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Already expected to split work with Peyton Barber this fall, Jones could be hard pressed to carve out a majority stake in the backfield if he can't prove capable in protecting his quarterback. Furthermore, Jones only caught 32 passes in three years at USC, so he seemingly has work to do on multiple fronts in order to be a factor on third downs this season. That said, running backs coach Tim Spencer recently indicated that Jones' pass-catching chops are developing. "They didn't throw him a lot of balls at USC. But [Jones'] hands have improved, and if he keeps on improving, that speed is something else," Spencer said.

Ekeler is listed as the No. 2 running back on the Chargers' initial depth chart, Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

As expected, Ekeler gets the nod over rookie seventh-round pick Justin Jackson, who is in danger of missing Saturday's preseason opener against the Cardinals due to a hamstring injury. Even if Jackson were to return in short order, Ekeler would still be a clear favorite for the backup job, coming off a rookie season with 5.5 yards per carry, 10.3 yards per catch and five touchdowns on only 74 touches. Melvin Gordon is locked in as the workhorse for early downs, but he may cede a few more snaps to Ekeler in passing situations this season.

Perine appeared as the No. 3 running back on the Redskins' first unofficial depth chart, Adam Zielonka of The Washington Times reports.

Perine had a steady workload towards the end of the 2017 campaign, rushing 109 times for 393 yards and one touchdown while catching 16 passes for 127 yards in the final seven games. However, his uptick in usage was a result of injuries to Chris Thompson (lower leg) and Rob Kelley, both of whom are back at practice and should be ready for Week 1. The arrival of second-round pick Derrius Guice makes Perine an afterthought for fantasy owners, and the second-year back might even be an afterthought for the Redskins, with his roster spot no longer assured, Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Hill (shoulder) went unclaimed on waivers and reverted to IR on Tuesday, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

This was an expected move for the undrafted rookie out of Michigan. The Seahawks don't have a sure thing at fullback, so Hill will still have a shot, albeit a long one, to make the 53-man roster once he's healthy.